Voucher decision cheered

Published: Saturday, December 1, 2012 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, December 1, 2012 at 12:01 a.m.

Local public-school officials applauded a judge’s ruling Friday that the state school voucher program is unconstitutional while local Catholic school officials said students already on vouchers can stay in their schools for now.

In Lafourche Parish, 65 students are attending private schools on the vouchers, which use taxpayer money to pay tuition. In Terrebonne Parish, 19 students are using vouchers.

Lafourche and Terrebonne school boards were among a host of boards and teacher unions that filed the lawsuit challenging the program.

“The judge basically ruled exactly like we thought he should,” said Pat Amedee, Lafourche’s attorney and one of those who attended Friday’s hearing in Baton Rouge. “He said the state was using money that was supposed to go to local public-school systems and sending it out to private schools.”

The ruling didn’t make clear what would happen to the almost 5,000 students statewide who are using the vouchers, Amedee said.

But Marian Fertitta, Catholic schools superintendent for the Houma-Thibodaux diocese, said any student attending a local school on vouchers would stay there for the time being.

“Those students will remain enrolled until the whole legal process is finished,” Fertitta said. “The students who are coming to our schools through the program are doing extremely well. They’ve made the adjustment already.”

All of the voucher seats in Lafourche and Terrebonne are in Catholic schools.

Amedee pointed out how the judge ruled the way the vouchers were paid for — not vouchers themselves — is unconstitutional. So it is possible the state could find a way to keep students in voucher schools using a different source of money, he said.

“You can be sure this won’t be the end of it,” Amedee said. “You can be sure that this is going to be appealed.

Local school board members celebrated the decision.

“Personally, I’ve always believed it was illegal. You just knew some judge somewhere at some point would strike this down,” said Terrebonne board member Donald Duplantis, a vocal critic of the vouchers. “Why should the people of Terrebonne Parish tax themselves when that money’s going outside the school district?”

Staff Writer Matthew Albright can be reached at 448-7635 or at matthew.albright@dailycomet.com.

<p>Local public-school officials applauded a judge's ruling Friday that the state school voucher program is unconstitutional while local Catholic school officials said students already on vouchers can stay in their schools for now.</p><p>In Lafourche Parish, 65 students are attending private schools on the vouchers, which use taxpayer money to pay tuition. In Terrebonne Parish, 19 students are using vouchers.</p><p>Lafourche and Terrebonne school boards were among a host of boards and teacher unions that filed the lawsuit challenging the program. </p><p>“The judge basically ruled exactly like we thought he should,” said Pat Amedee, Lafourche's attorney and one of those who attended Friday's hearing in Baton Rouge. “He said the state was using money that was supposed to go to local public-school systems and sending it out to private schools.” </p><p>The ruling didn't make clear what would happen to the almost 5,000 students statewide who are using the vouchers, Amedee said.</p><p>But Marian Fertitta, Catholic schools superintendent for the Houma-Thibodaux diocese, said any student attending a local school on vouchers would stay there for the time being.</p><p>“Those students will remain enrolled until the whole legal process is finished,” Fertitta said. “The students who are coming to our schools through the program are doing extremely well. They've made the adjustment already.”</p><p>All of the voucher seats in Lafourche and Terrebonne are in Catholic schools. </p><p>Amedee pointed out how the judge ruled the way the vouchers were paid for — not vouchers themselves — is unconstitutional. So it is possible the state could find a way to keep students in voucher schools using a different source of money, he said.</p><p>“You can be sure this won't be the end of it,” Amedee said. “You can be sure that this is going to be appealed.</p><p>Local school board members celebrated the decision.</p><p>“Personally, I've always believed it was illegal. You just knew some judge somewhere at some point would strike this down,” said Terrebonne board member Donald Duplantis, a vocal critic of the vouchers. “Why should the people of Terrebonne Parish tax themselves when that money's going outside the school district?”</p><p>Staff Writer Matthew Albright can be reached at 448-7635 or at matthew.albright@dailycomet.com.</p>